James: I joined the Heat just to win a championship, and even if I didn't go there, I would have stayed at my current level

This article was compiled from: ESPN

By Dave McMenamin

原标题：LeBron James: Would still be same player without Miami stint

On November 7, Beijing time, the Lakers played away against the Heat, and after the shooting practice, James was interviewed by Dave McMenamin of ESPN, talking about the significance of his time with the Heat.

If you go to the Heat or not, you will maintain the current level

"I think whether I've been here or not, I'm still going to stay at the level I'm at where I am," said the Lakers star, who is now in his 21st season. "Let's not misinterpret the facts: my four years here have been fantastic. I loved everything about it. Love this team, it's a top team, it's one of the best teams in the world. ”

"But as far as my career is concerned, my career will be my personal career because I know how much I've put into the game and I know how much I've worked to be as great as possible. [But] in terms of what I've learned here, it's second to none, that's for sure. ”

James joined the Heat in 2010 at the age of 25. In his first seven seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he didn't win a championship, won MVP twice, and reached the NBA Finals once. By the time he left Miami in 2014, he had already won two championships, four MVPs, made it to the Finals five times, and won two Finals MVPs. He was instrumental in the Heat's 2012-13 winning streak, the second-longest winning streak in league history.

He joined the Heat only to win the championship

"There's only one reason I'm here, and there's only one reason, and that's to win championships," James said, "and that's my only goal. That's the only reason I'm working with Wade and Bosh. Because I don't think I can do it in Cleveland. We can't do it... I'm trying to recruit players to come to Cleveland. I tried to help the higher-ups, but it didn't happen. So I had the opportunity to be a free agent, and I did what I thought was best, not only for my career, but for me at the time. ”

James said it was a formative period in his life, and not just in his career, as he left his only home in Northeast Ohio to settle in South Florida.

"It's a cultural change for me," James said. "People talk about 'hot culture' – it's a cultural change. It was the first time in my life that everything in my life changed. To be able to be here, to be able to learn and play alongside Wade, and to have UD (Haslem) and SPO (Spoelstra) – those who have already won championships – it's absolutely great to be a part of it, of course. ”

The Heat will wear the City Edition jersey when they host the Lakers with the words "Heat Culture" stitched on the jersey. The Heat's culture is "the hardest work, the best conditions, the most professional, the most selfless, the toughest, the toughest, the toughest team in the NBA." ”

The Heat, Lakers, and Spurs are all model teams

James included the Heat on what he considers to be a model team in all sports — including the NBA's Lakers and Spurs, as well as the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots — and he said it's a strong team that culture can only exist if players identify with it.

"Obviously, it started at the top, but in the end it was the people in the dressing room who made them accountable," he said. 'You can post from the top, but you still need the players to stick to it, to work extra hard in the dressing room and then apply it on the pitch, to apply it off the pitch to be exemplary.'

This isn't the first time James has mentioned the Steelers this season. When the Lakers lost 101-120 to the Magic and their record dropped to 3-3, he compared the Lakers' early-season tug-of-war to the Pittsburgh Steelers' performance.

"We're like the Pittsburgh Steelers right now," James said at the time, "and the Pittsburgh Steelers aren't scoring a lot this season at the moment, but they're still winning. ”

According to Second Spectrum, the Lakers rank 29th in three-point shooting percentage (29.7 percent) and 28th in catch-and-shoot three-point percentage and open three-point shooting percentage.